The present invention relates a water saving toilet, particularly to a toilet having water conservation peristaltic pump mode.
Toilets are well known in the art, and improvements involving water use efficiency continue because typically 20-30% of residential water use may be attributed to toilet flushing activity. For example, one study concluded that indoor water use typically breaks down to 28% for toilets, 22% for washing machines, 19% for showers and baths, 16% for sinks, and 14% for plumbing household leaks.
Originally the siphon-flush toilet as invented by Joseph Adamson utilized up to seven gallons of water per flush. In the 1990's, conservation laws mandated that “low flow” toilets use a maximum of 1.6 gallons per flush (GPF). To accomplish the greater efficiency, wider flapper valves (at the hole at the bottom center of the tank where fresh water flows down into the bowl), and wider trapways (the passageway connecting the bottom of the toilet bowl to the main sewer line) were developed. Glazing and finishing to reduce trapway friction is another ongoing design evolution, which includes the use of nanotechnology. Recently, further performance tiers have been established, including a 1.28 GPF “WaterSense’” EPA government standard.
Dual-flush (two stage) toilets are available, where for example, a first flush button may operate to flush liquid waste utilizing about 0.80 gallons per flush (GPF), and a second flush button may operate to flush solid waste utilizing about 1.6 gallons per flush (GPF). Typically, most 1.6 GPF toilets are gravity-assist only, and do not use the siphonic action of traditional toilets in which waste is pulled out of the bowl with the water. Toilet trapways for dual-flush toilets are typically four inches in diameter, which is an increase in diameter of one or two inches over prior art toilets. Dual-flush toilets reportedly are estimated to save up to 68 percent more water than conventional (1.6 GPF) low flow toilets, however such studies do not factor in actual usage situations where dual-flush toilets may not always get rid of all the waste, and multiple flushing may be required to completely remove all liquid and/or solid waste.